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MoUNns ViEw of Mounds View Staff Item No: 07B Meeting Date: April 28, 2014 Type of Business: Council Business To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: James Ericson, City Administrator Item Title/Subject: Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance 886, an Ordinance Amending Chapter 607 of the Mounds View City Code Relating to Commercial Vehicles (ROLL CALL VOTE) Introduction: At the January 6th work session meeting and at the Council meeting on January 13th, the City Council discussed the possibility of reviewing that section of the City Code that regulates the parking of commercial vehicles in a residential district. The Council spent some time at the February 3, 2014 and March 3, 2014, Work Sessions reviewing the research compiled by staff and discussion potential revisions that would expand allowances for parking commercial vehicles in residential districts. On April 28, 2014, the Council held the first reading and public hearing of Ordinance 886. A few residents attended the meeting and offered feedback, which seemed generally split on the issue. While no amendments were offered to the ordinance, Staff indicated that there would be revisions to ensure other parts of the Code would remain consistent with the new language. These changes are incorporated into the second reading version. History: Commercial vehicles have always been prohibited from being parked in residential districts, although an attempt was made in 1981 to change that. After numerous complaints from truck owners, the City Council adopted Ordinance 303 which served to eliminate the prohibition against commercial vehicles. Residents were opposed to the potential influx of commercial vehicles in their neighborhoods however and circulated petitions against the ordinance. As a result of their efforts, a special election was held on August 18, 1981, to vote on the issue, and the ordinance was over -turned by more than a two -to -one margin. The Nuisance Code underwent a rewrite in 2002, and as a result, two specific references regarding commercial vehicles were added for clarification purposes. The first amendment redefined a commercial vehicle to be any vehicle bearing a weight classification greater than "E". Prior to the amendment, if the license plate exhibited ANY weight classification, it was considered commercial. The second revision added a reference to vehicles with more than one rear axle. Discussion: After discussing the issue at previous work sessions and regular meetings, the Council seemed to support amending the City Code to increase the weight classification allowed to be parked in residential districts from "E" (6,001 - 10,000 lbs) to "G" (12,001 –15,000 lbs.) In addition, the Council expressed support for excluding pick-up trucks and passenger vans—those that would otherwise be ordinary residential vehicles but for an optional weight classification—from being defined as a commercial vehicle.